Waiting is rarely easy for anyone, but it can be especially difficult for children. Watching the clock until recess, waiting in line at lunch, or taking turns with a favorite toy can stretch even the ...

In the weeks before Christmas, coordinator of worship Cindy de Jong plans Calvin chapel services around the season of Advent. Recently, de Jong reflected on the significance of Advent during a busy ...

I have always loved Advent. Even as a child, I was filled with the aching wonder of the season when my dad would lead us in singing O Come, O Come Emmanuel to the glow of the Advent wreath in the dark ...

As we listen to these readings for the first Sunday of Advent, we may be perplexed by what we hear. First, Paul’s letter to the Romans urges his listeners to put away what is dark and cultivate the ...

Every major spiritual tradition teaches the virtue of patience, of waiting, of how personal sacrifice in the short term can build spiritual strength and resilience. Although those universally held ...

I have a friend I made through my writing for the Tallahassee Democrat. We met in person at St. John’s Episcopal Church when I was speaking there one Wednesday evening and she made a special effort, ...